Rebirth
by SolitaireSilverthorn
Summary: The sequal to The Infection.
1. Buried alive

Dylan crawled out into the rain. He didn't remember much after he was captured by Harwood's men. But just a few minutes ago they had sedated him and buried him alive. He got out. But now he had more problems. The infection was back and worse than before, Molly, Alyssa, Lucas, or Viktor were nowhere to be found, and he didn't know where to start searching. It had been seven years. Seven years since he woke up in a hospital bed. Since he was told that everything was over. He had endured the pain of losing his his family, the psychotic fantasy that his death was approaching, the fact that every one of his friends came close to dying.

He had been told it was over. It was far from over. He had seven years of rest from all this. And then his past caught up with him. Anyone who agreed with Harwood held a grudge against Dylan and his friends. Because they had been there when Harwood committed suicide. Because they had stopped the infection. Now they were being hunted by Harwood's followers. They had tried to kill Dylan several times, but this tactic was too much. He was gasping for air covered in mud. He knew he had to stop them before they got to anyone.

When he got to the house him and his friends were using as a base, Lucas was the first one he saw.

" Clean yourself up. You look infected." Lucas said tossing Dylan some tissues.

" Yeah this'll do it. I was just buried alive."

" Wow, that sucks. Who buried you?"

" Harwood's guys. As usual."

" Course it was. I had a sniper on me yesterday."

This was the life they lived. Always moving and being attacked. But they still had it better than before, when they were sleeping in zombie filled caves.

" So, where are Alyssa and Molly?" Dylan asked.

" They left to get supplies about an hour ago."

Dylan didn't respond. He took his gun from the table and stared at the writing that he had scratched in there so long ago. He had written it because how the world was like during that time. Most cities were cured now though. Even though the infection never really left the world, things were much better now. All because of them. A lot of things happened because of them. Carter Harwood was dead because of them. A few people were dead because of them.

Dylan snapped back to reality when Alyssa and Molly came in. Alyssa chambered a round in her pistol and pointed it straight between Dylan's eyes.

" You wouldn't." Dylan said.

" Why not?" Alyssa asked.

Dylan held up his left hand and the golden ring flashed in the light. Alyssa rolled her eyes and dropped the clip in her gun. It was empty. She pulled the trigger and a click replaced a gunshot. Alyssa hadn't changed much over the years. She walked with a slight limp due to a fall a while back. Molly looked older, but had three scars across her cheek due to infected birds slashing her. Dylan was once again shot back to reality by someone walking in. This time it was Jane.

They had hired Jane a while back. She worked for Harwood, but was actually giving Dylan's group information. Jane told them about Harwood's latest plan for about an hour. Halfway through this Dylan looked over at Alyssa, who took her gun and mimicked shooting herself. Jane continued to talk. Finally Dylan pulled on his jacket and got up. He walked outside into the rain. He kept thinking of the past. He had been under the impression that in three years, he would die. But it was all a twisted fantasy lead on by a bite from an infected dog. The dog's infection collided with Dylan's failed suicide and just left him demented and scarred.

He heard a noise a few feet in front of him. He grabbed his gun from inside his jacket and pointed it at the source of the noise. He crept slowly up to an alley where he thought the noise was coming from.

He almost dropped the gun.

A man was lying on the ground. Blood soaking the front of his shirt. Dylan knew exactly was had done this. Zombies. Which were supposed to be extinct in this part of the world. The man coughed and then looked up at Dylan. Dylan could tell he'd be infected in minutes. He was already experiencing the pain from it.

" K-k-kill...m-me." The man pleaded Dylan. Dylan knew he was doing good by killing him. He wouldn't die as a zombie after killing everyone he cared about. Still, Dylan hesitated pulling out his knife. He knelt down and the man's pain was ended in one swift move.

As he was walking to the house, Dylan collapsed. His head pierced with pain. Visions of when he killed his own father to stop him from becoming infected filled his mind. He got up and eventually, returned to the house.


	2. The bugs

Dylan got home and after cleaning mud and dirt off of him, told his friends about the man.

" I thought we got rid of infection." Viktor said.

" Yeah, we got rid of like ninety-five percent of it. That's not enough to infect the world again." Lucas said.

" Lucas," Alyssa said. " One bite could infect the whole world. It's a chain reaction."

" She's right." Dylan said. " and that's exactly what Harwood wants. Jane, where's his base located?"

" Hard to say." She told him. " Harwood's death got them paranoid. They've moved seven times just this week."

Harwood's little science group was working under him to ensure that the infection was still out there, but Dylan and Alyssa had watched him commit suicide after he killed his son, Carter. " We're finding him." Alyssa said. Even though she witnessed his death first-hand, she still referred to him as if he was still alive. " Now where is he?"

" You don't want to find them." Jane said. " They're using guns equipped with these. She set a few bullets on the desk in front her. They were silver and had black fluid running through the shell. " Infected bullets." Molly said, confirming everyone's fears. " Chyort... if they have bullets like this everywhere..." Viktor said.

" We're screwed then." Lucas said.

" Not if we stop them. Who're they gonna use these on anyway?" Alyssa said.

" Us, for one." Molly said.

" Get in the car. I know where his base is." Dylan said.

They drove for about two hours in silence. Dylan was sure the base was there. But who would be there? Who would be waiting? Dylan's thought was interrupted by another car slamming into theirs. They skidded into a guardrail and once Dylan collected himself, said, " Everyone all right?"

" Da." Viktor said.

" Yeah." Alyssa said.

They all staggered out of the car. Alyssa and Dylan simultaneously drew their guns. And pointed them at the other car. Dylan motioned for the others to stay back. They opened the driver's side door and looked inside. The driver had blood all over his face and a piece of glass was in his chest. He said nothing, but took out a syringe. He took a last look at Dylan and stabbed the syringe into his leg. He seemed to stop breathing. " Probably a way to make sure we didn't interrogate him." Alyssa said.

" Yeah." Dylan said, lowering his gun. But he brought it back up and fired two rounds into the man. His skin had begun to turn grey and his eyes had gone blank. He had injected himself with zombie's blood.

" So why did they run their car into ours?" Lucas asked.

" They knew where we were going." Dylan said. " They found out somehow."

" Maybe a bug was planted." Viktor said. " You know, like microphone."

" Actually, I don't doubt that." Dylan said. " They're trying to kill us, so they would have to know what we were planning. It could've been planted while we were away."

The real question was, how many bugs were there? They could've been wrong entirely. Maybe the man just found them out of luck, not knowledge.

They kept driving all night, and eventually rented a room in a hotel for the night. The world was barely infected anymore so they were pretty safe. There weren't zombies walking the halls anymore, but when they got to the room, there were still signs of the previous apocalypse. A bloody hand print was on the wall. Blood stained the floor just under the print. " Wow." Alyssa said. " Cool." Lucas looked at her like she was crazy.

" Looks like they didn't bother fixing the place up for us." Molly said.

" That doesn't matter right now." Dylan said. " We need to find the bugs."

They checked clothing, guns, phones, the car, everything. But they found no trace of any sort of microphone or camera. After about an hour, Dylan's phone rang. He answered and heard someone that he was hardly expecting to hear. A voice that had been manic the last time he heard it.

The voice was Harwood himself.


	3. The dead man

" I didn't expect you to answer." Harwood said.

" Shut up." Dylan snapped. He paused. " How'd you do it?"

" How did I do what?"

" You know what I mean."

" How am I back from the dead? I never left the living." Harwood's voice didn't sound like Dylan remembered. He sounded sophisticated rather than insane.

" I saw you kill yourself." Dylan said.

" No. Do you remember what I did before leaving?"

Everything made sense. Harwood had filled the syringe with infected blood. He injected himself just before jumping. The infection taking him over at the same speed as his body was dying, revived him. Dylan survived suicide the same way. But he was bitten by an infected dog and then slit his throat. He didn't know it would happen.

" So, you knew that would work?"

" I had a theory..."

" You jumped and risked everything on a theory?"

" It's too complicated for you to understand."

" So, who told your men where we were?"

" Jane."

" You told her to."

" Now your catching on. But my master plan is just unfolding."

" I'll see you in Hell!"

" I'm looking forward to it. Say hi to Carter if you get there first."


	4. Harwood's base

" Da. Ya tebya lyublyu." Viktor said, speaking in Russian to the person on the other end of the line. After a few more minutes, he hung up.

" Fifty bucks says I know who he was talking to." Lucas said to Dylan.

" Bet you didn't." Dylan shot back.

" I do." Alyssa said. " Who else understands Russian?"

" Svoloch." Viktor said to Alyssa.

" I'd be more offended if I knew what it meant."

Dylan knew he was talking to Vika. A girl Viktor met who was from Russia. She had moved to the US to escape the infection, but like Viktor, she hadn't escaped. She didn't travel with the rest of them, but she made sure to keep in touch with Viktor. When everyone left to pack their things into the car, Dylan and Viktor were still packing. After a while in silence, Dylan spoke up.

" You know it isn't good to have a relationship during the apocalypse?"

" You married Molly." Viktor said, smirking. Dylan had to think about his response.

" That's different." He said.

" Alright, how?"

Dylan couldn't answer. It's true, he had married her, but he knew she was always in danger, at least until Harwood died, and Dylan would personally kill him. He would make sure Harwood died. It didn't matter how he did it, it didn't matter how many wounds he would receive while trying, just as long as Harwood was killed.

Dylan put his things in the car, got in the drivers seat, and on the way to Harwood's base Dylan told everyone about the phone call.

" Wait, he's alive?" Lucas asked.

" Very. He tricked us. He's been one step ahead of us this entire time. He assigned Jane to spy on us." Dylan said.

" She betrayed us..." Molly said.

" You have to trust someone before you can be betrayed. I never did." Lucas said.

" Theres the base." Alyssa said, pointing at a building that was heavily guarded.

" Lucas and I will go in, but everyone else stays here." Dylan said.

As they slipped past the guards, Dylan wondered if Harwood knew they were there. His question was answered when they opened the door and everything went black.


	5. Roulette

When Dylan woke up, he didn't know where he was. He saw Harwood standing over him. He lunged at him, but metal dug into his wrists.

" Stuck, are we?" Harwood said with mock sympathy. Lucas was chained up next to Dylan, but he was still unconscious.

" What'd you do Harwood?" Dylan snarled.

" Just taking safety measures." Harwood turned to Jane, who was standing in the corner.

" Thank you so much for helping me find them." He told her. " But unfortunately we don't like people who collaborate with the enemy."

Dylan tried to ignore the screams. Harwood had pushed her into a pit full of what sounded like zombies. Harwood then pulled out a revolver. He loaded one bullet and then spun the chamber a few times. Lucas was woken up by one of Harwood's guards. Dylan and Lucas were pushed into the center of the room. Dylan could see the zombies feasting on Jane's mutilated body.

" You'll take turns." Harwood told them. " Each of you shoot until one dies." And with that, he left. Leaving Dylan and Lucas with the two armed guards. Lucas pulled the trigger. The gun clicked. He tossed it to Dylan.

" Got a plan?" Lucas whispered.

" Thinking."

" No talking!" One of the guards yelled. Dylan pulled the trigger.

_Click_

He tossed the gun to Lucas, who fired, but still no bullet.

Three times. Dylan noted. They had fired three times.

_Click_

Four. Two more shots left, and one would be fatal.

_Click_

Dylan whipped around and fired straight at the closest guard. As he did this, Lucas grabbed the other and snapped his neck. Dylan tossed Lucas the revolver and grabbed his gun from the table behind the guards. He checked if it was loaded. It was, but he only had one clip. He checked around and found a few more, but there weren't many. He'd have to use what he could.

" So, how do we get out?" Lucas said, loading the revolver.

" Don't know. We'll find a way. Even if we have to shoot our way out."

" Let's hope we have to. I wanna shoot something."

" Course you do." Dylan's phone rang. He half expected Harwood on the other end. But it was just Alyssa.

" Hello?"

" Get out here!"

" Why?" Her voice was panicked.

" Just hurry!" The phone hung up.


	6. Strike at the heart

Dylan ran into a war zone. Zombies had flooded from every side into Harwood's base. He heard gunshots and knew that his friends were still fighting. He looked around and saw that the car was covered in undead. The others had fled the car. " Luke, still with me?" Dylan called back behind him.

" Barely." Lucas replied. He had to reload every six shots. Which was slowing him down. Dylan helped clear some of the zombies and soon, they carved a path through the mob. They ran to the car, but they still couldn't find the others. Dylan called Viktor to see where they were. " Viktor, where are you?" Dylan yelled into the phone.

" Things are very bad where we are. Keep going left from car and you'll find us."

They did as Viktor said. They ran left from the car and eventually met up with each other. Everyone looked all right, but Dylan saw a large cut on Alyssa's forehead, and Viktor's leg was bleeding. Alyssa noticed he was staring and said " I'm fine. Where's Harwood?"

" He escaped. Any ideas on where he's headed?" Dylan said.

" We were fighting the guards. We never saw him." Molly said. Dylan cursed. No lead on Harwood meant this whole thing was pointless. His friends had gotten hurt for nothing. And if the roulette had gone wrong...

He pushed the thought out of his mind. They would find Harwood.

" Guys," Lucas said. " We'd better go." Dylan turned and saw hundreds of undead headed in their direction. They ran into the woods and after a five mile run, they reached a cave, which they immediately checked for zombies. Lucas emptied the shells from his revolver, and Alyssa and Viktor were bandaging their wounds. Dylan sat down on the cold dirt floor. Hoping that Harwood had been caught in the mass of undead they ran into. No, he was the reason they were out there. He let them out. No, he created them. Harwood lost everything and was still convinced he had done the right thing by creating the infection. Dylan found himself getting angry. Harwood had cost him his family, his life. Everything. He had literally taken the world away. Destroyed it. And now that things were just getting back to normal, he destroys everything again. Dylan knew the only way to end the virus. Not just with some antidote. He had to hit the core of the problem.

He had to kill Harwood.


	7. I don't care

Dylan called Harwood using the number he called from the first time. Luckily, Harwood answered.

" Ah, Dylan. I didn't expect a call this late at night."

" I'm coming for you Harwood."

" I'm terrified." He said with sarcasm. " But like I told you before, my master plan is just beginning. You have no idea what is in store."

" Neither do you."

" I can have you killed before you kill me. Or have you forgotten?" Harwood said.

" Then I'll take you with me."

" Alright. Take my life. Just like you took your father's."

Dylan collapsed. His head felt like it was splitting open. Visions of the day he was infected exploded in his mind. The dog, the gunshot. Everything. In pain and panic he threw the phone against the cave wall. It sparked and fell in pieces. Alyssa walked up to him. " We'll get Harwood. He can't hide forever." He could if he wanted to, Dylan thought. But he didn't say it. He just looked down at his gun. " How far is the nearest city?" He asked. Alyssa checked the maps they had been using since they met up. " The nearest isn't far,but we'd need a car." Dylan had forgotten they left the car at Harwood's base. " We'll wait 'till morning. Then we'll find one.

They found a car at an abandoned gas station and they had it running in minutes. Dylan drove to the nearest city. Viktor called Vika and told her to meet them there. " So what do you expect to find there?" Molly asked.

" I need to lure Harwood there. Then I'll kill him." Dylan said.

" How are you going to kill him?" Viktor asked.

" Don't know. As long as he stops breathing I don't care."


	8. One more thing

They got to the city late at night. Vika met up with them at the ruins of a school. " So how are we going lure Harwood here?" Lucas asked. Dylan saw that the city was packed with people. Barely any ruins were left. This had been one of the first cities affected by the antidote. " He'll definitely try to follow us. We just have to catch him."

As he was saying this, Dylan saw three helicopters fly over the city. Each of them dropped a huge capsule that burst on impact. Green gas flowed out of the capsule and began to strangle anyone it touched. Dylan then saw that the gas was infecting everyone in the cloud. All of them understood what to do. They ran into the school building, but the windows had been broken out long ago. They had trapped themselves, but soon Dylan found a door that led to a cellar.

They slammed the door and checked to see if any of the gas had made it into the room. " I think we're safe." Dylan finally said. " Safe?" Said Alyssa. " How? We're trapped."

She was right. The people caught in the gas attack were now zombies. If the gas was gone, they weren't.

" We've got guns." Lucas said. " We could shoot our way out."

" Too many of 'em." Alyssa said.

" We have to try something!" He shot back. Impulsively, Alyssa's hand shot towards her gun, but Molly stopped her. Alyssa glared at Lucas before turning to Dylan. " Well, we know who dropped the gas." Dylan knew exactly who had done it. He opened the door and saw no gas, but tons of zombies. They weren't as numerous near the door. Dylan saw one helicopter they had landed on the roof of a building. Lucas saw this as well and said " Think we can make it?" In response Dylan turned the safety off his gun. " Viktor, Lucas. Come with me. The rest of you stay here."

The three of them ran. Shooting every zombie in their way. Dylan knew they would drop more gas unless they were taken out. Maybe they could kill the pilots. They'd find a way. Maybe Harwood would be there as well.

They made it to the building and rushed up the stairs. When they got to the roof, The three of them ran at the helicopter. Viktor jumped in the helicopter and shot two of Harwood's guards. Then the pilot pulled out a gun. He shot Viktor once in the stomach. Dylan and Lucas ran to help but Viktor pushed them back. He got shot again in the chest. Before either Dylan or Lucas could stop him, Viktor slammed on the controls. The helicopter flew out of control and slammed into another. Both crashed into a building and exploded in flames.

Dylan and Lucas went back to the school and when they opened the door, Alyssa said " We saw the explosions! Looks like you guys did it."

" Wait, where's Viktor?" Molly asked.

When they didn't respond, Vika broke down into sobs. Dylan knew Harwood had just taken one more thing from him. Dylan ran out the door before his friends could stop him and went to look for Harwood.


End file.
